Page 65 of Captured By the Monsters
SYLAN
I couldn’t believe my eyes. Never in my life had I seen anything as beautiful as my mate awash in the glow of the crystal.
Sera was our True Queen.
Her soft whimpers reminded me that this wasn’t anything she wanted, and my instinctual need to protect her came to the forefront. Wrapping an arm completely around her, I tugged her close. “It’ll be alright, Sera. We’ll get through this together.”
“I don’t want to be Queen—I don't know how to be Queen,” she muttered despondently.
Rowen and Axton gently rubbed her lower back and tried to help soothe her.
“That’s why you have us,” Axton reminded her gently. “Your Trifecta will help you.”
“It’s so much, though.”
She didn’t elaborate on her words, but I knew what she meant. As Queen, Sera would be the one to restore all the lands, the crystal gaining strength from her. It was a great responsibility, and we would have to keep her replenished constantly. Her heat would take on a different form now, and the thought saddened me.
She would still crave our touch, but only because she fed the crystal with that primal energy—it was her life force that sustained it, literally—and because so much was taken from her as Queen to feed it, she would never be able to have a baby. No Queen of the past had been able to.
Although this is exactly what Sera wanted, and I should have been happy about that, I couldn't help but feel slightly saddened. As her mate, I longed to see her belly round with our son.
But I could also acknowledge how much greatness would come from her pairing with the crystal. Our beautiful mate would finally heal the Rumilus, transforming anyone who was still a Specter back into their physical form, even without having found their mates yet. It was an amazing feat—a true miracle in the face of adversity that my kind had endured for so long.
Our land would be restored to its former beauty, and I only hoped that we could gain civility back in our species with this change. The desperation would bleed away, and I longed to see respect and admiration in the Rumilus for the females that came down here now.
They were to be cherished and taken care of above all else.
Under her breath, Sera was listing all the reasons why she couldn’t possibly be Queen while I let my thoughts take over. We let her vent, understanding her fear. It was a lot to put on her shoulders—anyone’s shoulders—but Sera had the biggest heart. Even though she hadn’t wanted to come to The Below, she still did what was expected of her and had even tried to protect those other two women in the cave the first time we saw her.
She knew nothing about what she was up against, yet she wasn’t hesitant in putting their safety first.
She faced her fears and didn’t run from us—even more, she accepted us. Not very many human women did that, or even could do that, but Sera was fierce, brave, kind-hearted, and above all, fair. She would make the perfect Queen for Paratiisi, even if she doubted herself now.
Another moment passed, and Sera sighed. “I don’t really have a choice, do I?”
I hated that phrase with a passion, simply because it crossed her lips too often and was a recurring theme in her life. I didn’t want her to hate this life that had been thrust upon her.
“I have a favor to ask,” she murmured as she stared at the ground.
“Whatever you want,” I instantly responded. If it was within our power, we would do anything she asked to help lift the burden she was feeling.
Her gray eyes turned to look at us as she said, “I want to go home first, please, before we tell anyone. Can I have just one last night without any pressure?”
Fuck, I wanted to just wrap her up in my arms and tell her everything would be alright.
Axton crossed his arms, looking unsure, but I gave him a slight nod. The leaders would want to know, and it would be hard to hide this from them, but she deserved this request.
With the crystal now alive and fueled by our mate, the healing of Paratiisi would begin. It would be apparent the True Queen had been found, so I didn’t see the harm in giving her just one more night.
In truth, I was touched that Sera didn’t want to stay in the castle, preferring to return to the place we had built for her—a place that she considered her home now.
“One night,” Axton conceded with a soft smile directed at our mate, “but then we must come back, Sera. You know how much is at stake.”
“I know,” she whispered back. “I just need some rest. I’m exhausted mentally and physically from this day.”
Her words tugged at my heart. So much had happened to Sera in such little time. We had gained much by claiming her as our mate, but in contrast, she had lost much—her family, the life she knew, her choices, and today, a friend she had just made.
Death had left its ugly mark on her heart, and the crystal sapped whatever remaining life was within her, I’d imagine. She needed to rest as well as have us revive her energy, which was something I was more than happy to provide. She’d be thrilled to know we could revive her without the repercussions of a child now.
